Brave Langford battle on despite FA Cup thrashing

Ian Chessum

A new-look Langford were handed a tricky tie in the FA Cup on Saturday - and so it proved as Premier Division visitors Hadley ran out 9-1 winners.

It was the visitors who started the Extra Preliminary Round tie the stronger with some slick interpassing football.

The Reds worked hard, with chances at a premium, but after 26 minutes Langford’s Ryan Webb was forced off following a gashed ankle, causing a reshuffle.

Gangadeen had the first real shot on goal for the visitors on 33 minutes, forcing a fine save from Billy Welch in the Langford goal. In the 35th minute, Langford lost Lewis Sinclair to injury, further disrupting the team, and the game turned in the space of 10 minutes.

Dombake put the visitors ahead after 39 minutes, when his free kick on the edge of the area found the top corner with the aid of a big deflection. It was 2-0 on 44 minutes when Baptiste burst down the right and squared for Gangadeen to shoot low into the net.

Two further goals in first half stoppage time further increased the agony for the home side. First MacPherson latched n to a great through ball and lobbed the advancing Welch, then Dembake made it four with another free kick into the top corner.

Hadley were quickly into their stride in the second half, and MacPherson made it five with a diving header in the 49th minute. Mulholland made it six on 53 minutes squeezing a shot in from a narrow angle, Gangadeen with a low shot added the seventh.

Then Burimoh on as a substitute, was adjudged to have been bought down in the area, MacPherson scored from the spot to make it eight.

Despite having used three substitutes and then having Dan Harper limp off injured to take them down to 10 men, Langford never gave up, and were rewarded in the 80th minute when Daril Ngwala curled a fine free kick into a top corner from 20 yards out.